GLEE (again, the Interwebz request machine wins out over my desire to be lazier this season)
8:00-8:15
- 9.378 million viewers
- 5.8/10 HH
- 4.2/13 A18-49
- 4.5/15 A18-34
- 6.4/20 W18-34
8:15-8:30
- 8.809 million viewers
- 5.2/8 HH
- 3.8/11 A18-49
- 4.2/13 A18-34
- 6.1/18 W18-34
8:30-8:45
- 8.586 million viewers
- 5.1/8 HH
- 3.7/10 A18-49
- 4.1/13 A18-34
- 6.0/17 W18-34
8:45-9:00
- 9.919 million viewers
- 5.7/9 HH
- 4.3/11 A18-49
- 4.6/14 A18-34
- 6.7/18 W18-34
9:00-9:01
- 11.397 million viewers
- 6.7/10 HH
- 5.0/13 A18-49
- 5.3/15 A18-34
- 7.7/20 W18-34
Showing posts with label Glee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glee. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Glee Post-Super Bowl Quarter Hour Breakdown
Super Bowl Post Game (10:30-10:39)
- 50.471 million viewers
- 22.4/38 HH
- 19.8/45 A18-49
- 19.5/48 A18-34
- 19.5/48 W18-34
Glee (10:39-10:45)
- 39.504 million viewers
- 18.4/31 HH
- 16.1/38 A18-49
- 16.3/41 A18-34
- 17.3/43 W18-34
Glee (10:45-11:00)
- 31.301 million viewers
- 15.4/26 HH
- 12.9/31 A18-49
- 13.1/34 A18-34
- 14.5/37 W18-34
Glee (11:00-11:15)
- 25.061 million viewers
- 12.9/23 HH
- 10.4/27 A18-49
- 10.7/29 A18-34
- 12.5/33 W18-34
Glee (11:15-11:30)
- 23.553 million viewers
- 12.4/23 HH
- 9.9/27 A18-49
- 10.2/29 A18-34
- 12.0/33 W18-34
Glee (11:30-11:45)
- 22.183 million viewers
- 11.9/23 HH
- 9.3/27 A18-49
- 9.6/29 A18-34
- 11.4/34 W18-34
- 50.471 million viewers
- 22.4/38 HH
- 19.8/45 A18-49
- 19.5/48 A18-34
- 19.5/48 W18-34
Glee (10:39-10:45)
- 39.504 million viewers
- 18.4/31 HH
- 16.1/38 A18-49
- 16.3/41 A18-34
- 17.3/43 W18-34
Glee (10:45-11:00)
- 31.301 million viewers
- 15.4/26 HH
- 12.9/31 A18-49
- 13.1/34 A18-34
- 14.5/37 W18-34
Glee (11:00-11:15)
- 25.061 million viewers
- 12.9/23 HH
- 10.4/27 A18-49
- 10.7/29 A18-34
- 12.5/33 W18-34
Glee (11:15-11:30)
- 23.553 million viewers
- 12.4/23 HH
- 9.9/27 A18-49
- 10.2/29 A18-34
- 12.0/33 W18-34
Glee (11:30-11:45)
- 22.183 million viewers
- 11.9/23 HH
- 9.3/27 A18-49
- 9.6/29 A18-34
- 11.4/34 W18-34
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Will Schuester Needs To Get His $#*! Together
Brief followup on Glee, which I stopped blogging about episode-to-episode, um, around the same time I stopped blogging nightly TV reactions. Sorry!
Glee has a problem this season and seems to be continuing all the bad habits it picked up in the second half of season one. PROBLEM. But, y'know, it was still a crowd pleaser.
The problem Glee is having this season it, once the Rocky Horror episode has aired, 2 of 5 episodes built around / spurring from Will's insecurities and the Will/Emma relationship.
Remember "Sectionals" and how AWESOME the ending with the Will/Emma kiss was as the kids built from the bridge to the final chorus of "My Life Would Suck Without You"? Then in April when the back nine began... boom! Reset button! They were so cute together, they just got together, how could you break them up!?
Whatever. Yes. They are cute together. But that's not interesting. I don't mind relationship drama. In fact, it's the bread and butter of many TV writers.
I will repeat something I noted early in the first season and utterly stand by. This show is about the kids and when the focus shifts to the adults for anything more than a runner that provides some Sue Sylvester one-liners, it fails. They are my least favorite episodes.
- Acafellas
- Mash-Up
- Home (great music, though!)
- Britney/Brittany (4 of the 5 Britney performances were anesthesia-addled dream sequences and the 1 "real" performance was marred by Will's awkward presence on stage)
- The Rocky Horror Glee Show
The one exception to this was "Dream On" which was just awesome. So, y'know, it CAN be done! But the exception proves the rule.
Maybe it's just me. I don't know. But the show is so much better when the plot is spurred by something stupid / selfish / diva-ish Rachel has done, when the kids are issued a competition assignment to the kids, or, well, the finales.
Anyway, you'll see on Tuesday. I'm a huge RHPS fan. There are plenty of winks and shoutouts and it's faithful in parts, but... the story is complete weaksauce. And, from a gay male POV, I appreciate the scene where Matthew Morrison gets shirtless in a private rehearsal with Emma because he's taking over the role of Rocky. BUT IT MAKES NO SENSE. Why would he need to rehearse a scene where HE DOES NOTHING AND SHE SINGS AND SEDUCES HIM? And, if you know the show and extrapolate it out in the plot (not that they go there) would mean, at that point, Rachel/Will happening ON STAGE IN FRONT OF A LIVE AUDIENCE. And it's all about Will/Emma/Carl (Karl?) The kids are pawns.
There's a kernel of a great "message" episode in there if the Finn/Sam plotline about body image were expanded on. But instead we get a ridiculously big production mess, which is sadly more typical than not of the Ryan Murphy written/directed episodes.
And, yes, as above, I know couples need drama. And I have no doubt that the show is driving towards Will/Emma getting back together with Stamos being nothing but the catalyst for both working their issues out and finally being ready for each other. But at this point... I don't want Will with Emma. Because he SUCKS. Grow up. Let the kids have their time to shine and stop letting your issues, which you need to work through, affect them.
Anyway. I hope you find a way to enjoy The Rocky Horror Glee Show. I did not.
Glee has a problem this season and seems to be continuing all the bad habits it picked up in the second half of season one. PROBLEM. But, y'know, it was still a crowd pleaser.
The problem Glee is having this season it, once the Rocky Horror episode has aired, 2 of 5 episodes built around / spurring from Will's insecurities and the Will/Emma relationship.
Remember "Sectionals" and how AWESOME the ending with the Will/Emma kiss was as the kids built from the bridge to the final chorus of "My Life Would Suck Without You"? Then in April when the back nine began... boom! Reset button! They were so cute together, they just got together, how could you break them up!?
Whatever. Yes. They are cute together. But that's not interesting. I don't mind relationship drama. In fact, it's the bread and butter of many TV writers.
I will repeat something I noted early in the first season and utterly stand by. This show is about the kids and when the focus shifts to the adults for anything more than a runner that provides some Sue Sylvester one-liners, it fails. They are my least favorite episodes.
- Acafellas
- Mash-Up
- Home (great music, though!)
- Britney/Brittany (4 of the 5 Britney performances were anesthesia-addled dream sequences and the 1 "real" performance was marred by Will's awkward presence on stage)
- The Rocky Horror Glee Show
The one exception to this was "Dream On" which was just awesome. So, y'know, it CAN be done! But the exception proves the rule.
Maybe it's just me. I don't know. But the show is so much better when the plot is spurred by something stupid / selfish / diva-ish Rachel has done, when the kids are issued a competition assignment to the kids, or, well, the finales.
Anyway, you'll see on Tuesday. I'm a huge RHPS fan. There are plenty of winks and shoutouts and it's faithful in parts, but... the story is complete weaksauce. And, from a gay male POV, I appreciate the scene where Matthew Morrison gets shirtless in a private rehearsal with Emma because he's taking over the role of Rocky. BUT IT MAKES NO SENSE. Why would he need to rehearse a scene where HE DOES NOTHING AND SHE SINGS AND SEDUCES HIM? And, if you know the show and extrapolate it out in the plot (not that they go there) would mean, at that point, Rachel/Will happening ON STAGE IN FRONT OF A LIVE AUDIENCE. And it's all about Will/Emma/Carl (Karl?) The kids are pawns.
There's a kernel of a great "message" episode in there if the Finn/Sam plotline about body image were expanded on. But instead we get a ridiculously big production mess, which is sadly more typical than not of the Ryan Murphy written/directed episodes.
And, yes, as above, I know couples need drama. And I have no doubt that the show is driving towards Will/Emma getting back together with Stamos being nothing but the catalyst for both working their issues out and finally being ready for each other. But at this point... I don't want Will with Emma. Because he SUCKS. Grow up. Let the kids have their time to shine and stop letting your issues, which you need to work through, affect them.
Anyway. I hope you find a way to enjoy The Rocky Horror Glee Show. I did not.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Episode 3, AKA The Corrections Department
We're a few weeks into the new TV season, and I feel the need to set the record straight about a few shows, now that I've watched (whether under coercion or not) beyond the pilot of several new shows, and, with an exception-that-proves-the-rule, I've come to a conclusion.
Judge a pilot on its own merits, but don't judge a series until episode three (should you have any interest in the premise of the series... if not, then there's really no reason to stick around... i.e. me and Melrose Place, no matter what anyone could ever say, I won't be sampling it again).
Why episode three? Because pilots are, theoretically, the singular vision of the pilot's writer/writing team. Episode two is the product of the writers room... and you really have to figure out where you're taking the show beyond the set up of a pilot episode. New writers added to the mix need to figure out the voices of the characters and that takes time. In episode two, there is also the pressure / temptation of doing a second pilot... either totally revamping the show because you're going somewhere else with the series, or "restating" the pilot while not advancing the story or characters.
Cases from this season:
Modern Family: Uproarious pilot. Second episode, IMHO, far weaker. It wasn't funny, though it did bring the heart in spades. It suffered from "restatement" syndrome in that the characters were pretty much all in the same groupings as in the pilot... it just wasn't as funny and the situation not as fresh. Episode two had me worried. Episode three allayed my concerns. Third episode... hilarious (and also full of heart). Characters interacted in combinations that were different than the pilot... though Cam and Mitchell still are separate and, thus, I've found their scenes the least involving / compelling / amusing.
Cougar Town: Similar to Modern Family, in that the pilot was funny, last week not-so-much, this week things were a ton better. Particularly the supporting cast felt off and misused last week, while this week they were handled better (Busy Phillips gets more screentime, Josh Hopkins gets less... I'm happy). Also, yeah, the comedy was far superior last night to the post-pilot episode.
Community: Again... hilarious pilot, weak episode two that was a little too much of the same, strong episode three (that brought something new and different to the show).
The Vampire Diaries: Pilot episode, though the best of CW's fall offerings, was boilerplate at best. The post-pilot episode, though featuring Ian Somerhalder more after establishing him too late in the pilot, was more of the same. Episode three? Leaps and bounds better (and episode four was actually good guilty pleasure silly teen drama TV). The problem, which I think the writers figured out, was the level of danger. Both the pilot and post-pilot episodes really only had danger to characters we didn't know in the teaser section, in miniature, B-horror film vignettes. Then... our characters are in danger. There was just much more tension. I'm surprised to say this... but I think you should check this series out.
I've yet to watch Eastwick or Mercy's third episodes, but both of them had better second episodes than their cliched pilots, for various reasons (and, I will repeat, that Mercy's pilot was supposed to be reshot but didn't have the chance to be since it was suddenly airing in September instead of midseason). Mercy, I watched the 2nd episode with a friend at her place when I otherwise wouldn't have come back to the series. Eastwick I got an e-mail recommendation and was glad to see improvements in episode two.
Now... the exception. Glee. Glee's third episode was, by far, the worst of the entire series to date. Fortunately when you have a show that started with two incredibly fun hours... having an off third episode - AND KNOWING WHAT WAS OFF ABOUT IT AND FIXING THAT - can help immensely. But if the first two hours hadn't been as magical as they were, a third hour like "Acafellas" would have been the nail in the coffin for me as a viewer. If episode three of Vampire Diaries hadn't been better, I wouldn't have been back for episode four. And if I'm not pleased with Mercy or Eastwick when I get the chance to see their third offerings, considering that I'm not in love with either... then I won't be coming back.
So... episode three. Will update on Eastwick and Mercy once I've watched. And I'm very much looking forward to tonight's third episode of Flashforward (the second episode addressed some of my concerns, so I'm not thinking I'm giving the series up if episode three isn't up to snuff... but it's time to see this plot advance now that the larger "are we really dealing with this" questions seem to be out of the way).
Judge a pilot on its own merits, but don't judge a series until episode three (should you have any interest in the premise of the series... if not, then there's really no reason to stick around... i.e. me and Melrose Place, no matter what anyone could ever say, I won't be sampling it again).
Why episode three? Because pilots are, theoretically, the singular vision of the pilot's writer/writing team. Episode two is the product of the writers room... and you really have to figure out where you're taking the show beyond the set up of a pilot episode. New writers added to the mix need to figure out the voices of the characters and that takes time. In episode two, there is also the pressure / temptation of doing a second pilot... either totally revamping the show because you're going somewhere else with the series, or "restating" the pilot while not advancing the story or characters.
Cases from this season:
Modern Family: Uproarious pilot. Second episode, IMHO, far weaker. It wasn't funny, though it did bring the heart in spades. It suffered from "restatement" syndrome in that the characters were pretty much all in the same groupings as in the pilot... it just wasn't as funny and the situation not as fresh. Episode two had me worried. Episode three allayed my concerns. Third episode... hilarious (and also full of heart). Characters interacted in combinations that were different than the pilot... though Cam and Mitchell still are separate and, thus, I've found their scenes the least involving / compelling / amusing.
Cougar Town: Similar to Modern Family, in that the pilot was funny, last week not-so-much, this week things were a ton better. Particularly the supporting cast felt off and misused last week, while this week they were handled better (Busy Phillips gets more screentime, Josh Hopkins gets less... I'm happy). Also, yeah, the comedy was far superior last night to the post-pilot episode.
Community: Again... hilarious pilot, weak episode two that was a little too much of the same, strong episode three (that brought something new and different to the show).
The Vampire Diaries: Pilot episode, though the best of CW's fall offerings, was boilerplate at best. The post-pilot episode, though featuring Ian Somerhalder more after establishing him too late in the pilot, was more of the same. Episode three? Leaps and bounds better (and episode four was actually good guilty pleasure silly teen drama TV). The problem, which I think the writers figured out, was the level of danger. Both the pilot and post-pilot episodes really only had danger to characters we didn't know in the teaser section, in miniature, B-horror film vignettes. Then... our characters are in danger. There was just much more tension. I'm surprised to say this... but I think you should check this series out.
I've yet to watch Eastwick or Mercy's third episodes, but both of them had better second episodes than their cliched pilots, for various reasons (and, I will repeat, that Mercy's pilot was supposed to be reshot but didn't have the chance to be since it was suddenly airing in September instead of midseason). Mercy, I watched the 2nd episode with a friend at her place when I otherwise wouldn't have come back to the series. Eastwick I got an e-mail recommendation and was glad to see improvements in episode two.
Now... the exception. Glee. Glee's third episode was, by far, the worst of the entire series to date. Fortunately when you have a show that started with two incredibly fun hours... having an off third episode - AND KNOWING WHAT WAS OFF ABOUT IT AND FIXING THAT - can help immensely. But if the first two hours hadn't been as magical as they were, a third hour like "Acafellas" would have been the nail in the coffin for me as a viewer. If episode three of Vampire Diaries hadn't been better, I wouldn't have been back for episode four. And if I'm not pleased with Mercy or Eastwick when I get the chance to see their third offerings, considering that I'm not in love with either... then I won't be coming back.
So... episode three. Will update on Eastwick and Mercy once I've watched. And I'm very much looking forward to tonight's third episode of Flashforward (the second episode addressed some of my concerns, so I'm not thinking I'm giving the series up if episode three isn't up to snuff... but it's time to see this plot advance now that the larger "are we really dealing with this" questions seem to be out of the way).
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Preggers
Meant to post about last night's Glee episode earlier today... Oh, well. I'll be kurt...
Hah.
Um.
Yeah. This episode was hilarious. And focused on the kids instead of the adults (but had plenty of Sue zingers!) And put "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" right back into constant loop in my head JUST AFTER I HAD MANAGED TO GET RID OF IT FOLLOWING THE VMAS. DAMN YOU, GLEE.
It was everything I want from Glee, and everything the show didn't deliver last week. Although I have to say that the release of Rachel Berry / Lea Michele's version of "Taking Chances" pulled one over on me... I thought it was going to be akin to her "Take a Bow," some huge emotional moment, and instead we got a snippet of the song in the episode as an audition performance. I'm fine with that. I just have to not make storyline assumptions based on pre-released music!
Next week... EMMY WINNER Kristen Chenowith! How exciting that Glee/Fox gets to promote her as such.
Hah.
Um.
Yeah. This episode was hilarious. And focused on the kids instead of the adults (but had plenty of Sue zingers!) And put "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" right back into constant loop in my head JUST AFTER I HAD MANAGED TO GET RID OF IT FOLLOWING THE VMAS. DAMN YOU, GLEE.
It was everything I want from Glee, and everything the show didn't deliver last week. Although I have to say that the release of Rachel Berry / Lea Michele's version of "Taking Chances" pulled one over on me... I thought it was going to be akin to her "Take a Bow," some huge emotional moment, and instead we got a snippet of the song in the episode as an audition performance. I'm fine with that. I just have to not make storyline assumptions based on pre-released music!
Next week... EMMY WINNER Kristen Chenowith! How exciting that Glee/Fox gets to promote her as such.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Acafellas
So, Glee episode three...
Definitely my least favorite of the three that have aired. As I've stated before, I think the kids are the heart of this show, and while there was still music-aplenty (though the story didn't build to any sort of final number... whether soaring like "Don't Stop Believing" or gut-wrenching like "Take a Bow") the focus was too much on Will and his outside project - the "Acafellas" - and that left the kids' story underserviced (and, um... less Sandy, please!)
The kids could've used more attention because the episode started filling out some of the Glee Club members besides Rachel and Finn, which I'm glad to see. The Mercedes/Kurt story could've been really great, but it felt choppy and the twists too sudden... like the "Mercedes is hanging out with Kurt" plot should've been one episode, the next is "she realizes she's falling for him, but he comes out (and, um, we're supposed to be surprised?)" and the next is "they patch things up and are able to be total BFF." Amber Riley has a fantastic voice and got to showcase it, front and center, in "Bust Your Windows." A really fun number... and the most "music video" Glee has given us thus far. Previously all of the numbers were things the characters were actually singing in the moment (even if, like "Take a Bow" it carried over from a rehearsal to singing in the mirror to singing as she watched Quinn and Finn in the hallway) and this was pure fantasy. I don't think it's a bad thing to allow the show to have characters break into fantasy music video (I certainly know that, in my own head, I've done it more than a couple times)... but I hope it's used sparingly.
On the music side... without building the a key emotional beat / performance, I don't think that we'll be seeing a new Glee song on the Billboard Top 100 next week (this week "Take a Bow" hit Number 46). I'm curious... has anyone heard Glee songs played on the radio? Can people request them and actually get them played?
Anyway, next week is "Preggers," an episode that critics screened a little while back (and I think it is now obvious why Fox chose to send out "Showmance" and "Preggers" for review, instead of "Showmance" and "Acafellas"). It's the "Single Ladies" episode. And it is HILARIOUS (and very much back to what I love about Glee... the focus on the kids) and it fills out Kurt's character a lot (something that, as above, was started in this episode).
Definitely my least favorite of the three that have aired. As I've stated before, I think the kids are the heart of this show, and while there was still music-aplenty (though the story didn't build to any sort of final number... whether soaring like "Don't Stop Believing" or gut-wrenching like "Take a Bow") the focus was too much on Will and his outside project - the "Acafellas" - and that left the kids' story underserviced (and, um... less Sandy, please!)
The kids could've used more attention because the episode started filling out some of the Glee Club members besides Rachel and Finn, which I'm glad to see. The Mercedes/Kurt story could've been really great, but it felt choppy and the twists too sudden... like the "Mercedes is hanging out with Kurt" plot should've been one episode, the next is "she realizes she's falling for him, but he comes out (and, um, we're supposed to be surprised?)" and the next is "they patch things up and are able to be total BFF." Amber Riley has a fantastic voice and got to showcase it, front and center, in "Bust Your Windows." A really fun number... and the most "music video" Glee has given us thus far. Previously all of the numbers were things the characters were actually singing in the moment (even if, like "Take a Bow" it carried over from a rehearsal to singing in the mirror to singing as she watched Quinn and Finn in the hallway) and this was pure fantasy. I don't think it's a bad thing to allow the show to have characters break into fantasy music video (I certainly know that, in my own head, I've done it more than a couple times)... but I hope it's used sparingly.
On the music side... without building the a key emotional beat / performance, I don't think that we'll be seeing a new Glee song on the Billboard Top 100 next week (this week "Take a Bow" hit Number 46). I'm curious... has anyone heard Glee songs played on the radio? Can people request them and actually get them played?
Anyway, next week is "Preggers," an episode that critics screened a little while back (and I think it is now obvious why Fox chose to send out "Showmance" and "Preggers" for review, instead of "Showmance" and "Acafellas"). It's the "Single Ladies" episode. And it is HILARIOUS (and very much back to what I love about Glee... the focus on the kids) and it fills out Kurt's character a lot (something that, as above, was started in this episode).
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Glee, or Why the CW is Wrong Wrong Wrong
So the premiere of Glee's preliminary ratings are in. 7.315 million viewers, a 4.6/7 in HH, and 3.3/9 in A18-49, with approximately a 70% female audience. (EDIT: in finals, Glee improved to 7.502 million viewers and a 3.5/9 in A18-49, while HH remained the same)
Here's an interesting number, though... 5.3/14 (EDIT: 5.4/15 in finals, a 28.57% gain) in W18-34 (and in a very positive sign for Glee... this was 26.19% above its final 4.2/12 W18-34 rating from the post-Idol preview in May, which wa. This is supposed to be CW's target demo... the reason it exists. Here's the W18-34 from Tuesday's Melrose Place's premiere (also preliminary): 2.5/7. The MP premiere was just as hyped as Glee's. And Glee more than doubled MP's rating in CW's sweet spot.
A little more perspective: Gossip Girl's series high in W18-34 is a 4.3/12 (finals from September 15, 2008), though by the end of last season it wasn't breaking a 3.0.
Yes, it's too soon (following a much-hyped premiere, and without regular competition... though Wipeout and America's Got Talent are two of summer's biggest threats) to say Glee is a smashing success. We'll see how the ratings and demos trend.
But here's what I do know (and, well, we've all known it for a long time): The CW is WRONG.
I'm privy to development objectives of the various networks because, as a writer, you have to know where to take projects based on what people are interested in. The is vehement about not doing shows about high school. They do shows, like Gossip Girl and Vampire Diaries, that feature high school characters, but they try and focus those shows away from school and more on the town and extra-curricular lives of the characters (I don't watch 90210, but has the school setting been largely phased out?) They are also phasing teenage characters out... they prefer 20-something female leads. It is far more interested in revamps and remakes and adaptations than original creations (that's not to say they aren't developing purely original material... just that the general industry wisdom is that they are encouraging more of the "90210 and Melrose Place revamp" ilk... though perhaps that will change after Tuesday's bombing).
Glee proves the CW wrong (as does to ratings success of Secret Life of the American Teenager, as does the success of the WB a decade ago with teenage shows about high school and high schoolers... that spoke universally to an American experience that everyone always goes through... there are always more people entering and exiting high school, while Gossip Girl clings to its 2.5 million viewer niche). Glee may have a split focus between the stories of the teens and those of adults, but its biggest strength is, very plainly, the teens and the high school experience. We don't see much of the classroom, and that's fine... the high school exists as a social entity, showing a dichotomy of cool and uncool and the trials and tribulations of teenage romance. I may enjoy Jane Lynch's zingers as Sue Sylvester... but I'm coming back again and again for the kids (and the show better not forget that and focus too heavily on the adults!) Clearly, females 18-34 are interested in this (because you cannot tell me that the musical element is the real reason people are tuning in... there's way too many examples of why that's not true, though Glee is certainly doing the musical TV show thing better than it's been done before).
I sincerely hope Dawn Ostroff is paying attention (or gets fired and someone competent is put in charge... at long last) and The CW attempts to develop shows in the spirit of The WB's heyday though at this point, it may be too little too late.
I challenge the CW to create as show as purely enjoyable (if not as unique) as Glee. If it does... I predict strong ratings would be its reward.
Here's an interesting number, though... 5.3/14 (EDIT: 5.4/15 in finals, a 28.57% gain) in W18-34 (and in a very positive sign for Glee... this was 26.19% above its final 4.2/12 W18-34 rating from the post-Idol preview in May, which wa. This is supposed to be CW's target demo... the reason it exists. Here's the W18-34 from Tuesday's Melrose Place's premiere (also preliminary): 2.5/7. The MP premiere was just as hyped as Glee's. And Glee more than doubled MP's rating in CW's sweet spot.
A little more perspective: Gossip Girl's series high in W18-34 is a 4.3/12 (finals from September 15, 2008), though by the end of last season it wasn't breaking a 3.0.
Yes, it's too soon (following a much-hyped premiere, and without regular competition... though Wipeout and America's Got Talent are two of summer's biggest threats) to say Glee is a smashing success. We'll see how the ratings and demos trend.
But here's what I do know (and, well, we've all known it for a long time): The CW is WRONG.
I'm privy to development objectives of the various networks because, as a writer, you have to know where to take projects based on what people are interested in. The is vehement about not doing shows about high school. They do shows, like Gossip Girl and Vampire Diaries, that feature high school characters, but they try and focus those shows away from school and more on the town and extra-curricular lives of the characters (I don't watch 90210, but has the school setting been largely phased out?) They are also phasing teenage characters out... they prefer 20-something female leads. It is far more interested in revamps and remakes and adaptations than original creations (that's not to say they aren't developing purely original material... just that the general industry wisdom is that they are encouraging more of the "90210 and Melrose Place revamp" ilk... though perhaps that will change after Tuesday's bombing).
Glee proves the CW wrong (as does to ratings success of Secret Life of the American Teenager, as does the success of the WB a decade ago with teenage shows about high school and high schoolers... that spoke universally to an American experience that everyone always goes through... there are always more people entering and exiting high school, while Gossip Girl clings to its 2.5 million viewer niche). Glee may have a split focus between the stories of the teens and those of adults, but its biggest strength is, very plainly, the teens and the high school experience. We don't see much of the classroom, and that's fine... the high school exists as a social entity, showing a dichotomy of cool and uncool and the trials and tribulations of teenage romance. I may enjoy Jane Lynch's zingers as Sue Sylvester... but I'm coming back again and again for the kids (and the show better not forget that and focus too heavily on the adults!) Clearly, females 18-34 are interested in this (because you cannot tell me that the musical element is the real reason people are tuning in... there's way too many examples of why that's not true, though Glee is certainly doing the musical TV show thing better than it's been done before).
I sincerely hope Dawn Ostroff is paying attention (or gets fired and someone competent is put in charge... at long last) and The CW attempts to develop shows in the spirit of The WB's heyday though at this point, it may be too little too late.
I challenge the CW to create as show as purely enjoyable (if not as unique) as Glee. If it does... I predict strong ratings would be its reward.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Fall Screening Review - Glee "Showmance"
GLEE "Showmance"
Status: Returns to Fox on Wednesday, September 16th @ 9pm
Oh, readers.
I'm in love all over again. You all remember how in love with the original version of the pilot I was when I saw it way back in February, right (Glee)? And then how I was still in love three months later when the final broadcast version aired, but saddened that my joyous experience had been shortened, cut down, and put back together slightly more choppily?
And, not that you would know this, but how I seriously can't get the Glee Cast's versions of "Rehab" and "Don't Stop Believin'" out of my head (or off my iPod... not that I'd want to)?
Anyway.
The second episode screened tonight in LA as part of OutFest. I'm a spoilerphobe (thank you, spoiler addiction and knowing everything that happened in the last 1.5 seasons of Buffy months in advance and ruining the final run of show for me... not that I minded at the time, and not that the show was anywhere near its peak by then). So, you won't be getting a ton of plot details from me.
The episode begins almost like a reset, in case you hadn't seen the pilot (which, I hear-tell, will be airing an EXTENDED VERSION the week before "Showmance" airs... not sure if that means Extended Pilot on September 16th or September 9th). We open on Will pulling into the school parking lot, temporarily stopping Puck and the other jocks from tarnishing poor Kurt's expensive designer threads, etc.
But, readers, there's oh so much more waiting in this episode.
More Jane Lynch, for starters. I'm assured (via press reviews of episode 4 "Preggers," if "Showmance" is considered episode 2) Jane will be an increasingly involved presence (and snarling villainess) as the series progresses... which she damn well better be what with Fox not letting her do even a single episode of Party Down season two (miss you, Constance!)
Then there's the songs. "Showmance" is loaded with them, though we've seen and heard bits from most in promos (Will's take on "Gold Digger," the Glee club's "Le Freak" rehearsal). Put there's also a hilariously raucous performance of "Push It" from the club as well as the sad song playing over the final minutes of the show. The final performance, Rihanna's "Take A Bow" sung by Lea "MinIdina" Michele's Rachel, is heartbreaking. It's the antithesis of the pilot's "Don't Stop Believin'," which left us soaring and hopeful. And it's good to know the show is able to carry some real (teenage) emotional heft with its performances and story and not just goad us into rooting for the underdogs and believing that they can put it together against overwhelming odds (that would be the Disney Channel's MO). Allowing us to feel heartbreak, and to really believe it, in the second episode of this series... well, I'm just in love and along for the ride (so long as the show sticks to this winning formula, with split focus on adults and kids but, really, knowing it's all about the kids) and can't wait for you to know what the hell I'm talking about. And that song better be on iTunes for purchase!
The slurpee toss is back (blue!) and there's a hilarious running gag involving Cory Monteith's Finn, a postal worker, driving lessons, and premature ejaculation.
What? It's Ryan Murphy... and Fox...
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Performance Finale
Lambert: Mad World not as good as the first time.
Allen: Ain't No Sunshine better than the first time.
Lambert: A Change Is Gonna Come outstanding.
Allen: What's Goin' On merely okay.
Kara: Wow, she let her name be attached to that song? Not good for either contestant. Out of range / wrong key for Kris, and far outside Adam's genre.
Le shrug.
At this stage it doesn't matter *to me* who wins (especially with Allison Iraheta out of the competition... she had the most distinctive sound this season even if her song choice was rarely spot on and she didn't do the now-seemingly-necessary rearrangement of her songs... listen to the studio versions of her songs, she's amazing).
Adam and Kris were both amazing in their own rights and ways throughout the season, and they're in very different places for the industry. And, no doubt, both will be getting record deals.
In the long run, I don't think winning Idol is going to help or hurt Adam's career. Winning Idol will help Kris' career.
Conversely, a Kris win hurts Idol, as a show. Adam is the reason the show has been buzzing so loudly this season, even if the Nielsen ratings reflect a decline in viewership. An Adam win is electrifying, and his not-the-Idol-single debut single release, and album release, around the time of the Idol premiere will be a massive PR boon... no matter how bad it might suck (and it sooooo could... I mean, just because you have Christina Aguilera's pipes doesn't mean you go on vocals runs all the time instead of singing melodies... which is where I, again, point to the studio versions of Adam's songs, which restrain his screaming and runs in a way that makes even the more offensively outrageous performances listenable). Kris is safe and I don't think his single/album will create the whirlwind of buzz that Adam's will... even though they probably will be more radio-friendly (in an easy-listening, Adult Contemporary sort of way).
Ultimately, a Kris win tomorrow night simply means a disappointment for the show. Not for viewers or listeners.
That said, I think Kris will win. You either love or hate Adam. It's hard to hate Kris. You might find him bland, but you don't hate him. He's the underdog, and he will likely pick up more of Danny Gokey's voters than Adam will (because people had already made their decision on Adam).
Oh, and, yes. I'd love Adam to win what with the whole "he's probably one of us gays" thing.
PS - What'd you all think of Glee? I liked the longer rough cut I saw months ago better... but, darn it, if those last minutes with the kids singing "Don't Stop Believin'" isn't still massively uplifting and creating of the warm fuzzies. Hope you stuck around for it.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Borat
OMG THE BIGGEST TWIST IN IDOL HISTORY!!!
Not.
But I'm alright with all four of the peeps who got through. 8 guys and 5 girls. Feels a bit off after two seasons of 6-and-6.
Also!
Glee promo! WOOOOOOOO! And OMG I totally said "they're going to premiere it after the Idol performance finale." AND THEY ARE.
EXCEPT!
They're saving the REST of the series for fall. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?
It's a risky move. It has a lot of potential to pay off and a lot of potential to fall flat on its face. I gotta hand it to Fox, though. It's different. And it's probably better than a summer season that would be ignored / treated as burn off. This way, potentially, people fall in love with Glee on May 19th, Fox promotes it all summer, releases a DVD of the pilot in early September, and commits a significant amount of its fall launch muscle to relaunching the show in a regular timeslot (a thought... Tuesday @ 9pm, so that it stay in the same timeslot when Idol returns in January 2010? or if House is staying on Mondays @ 8pm, then Mondays @ 9pm in the fall, then when Idol and 24 return in January, it moves to either Tuesday or Wednesday after Idol).
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Glee
I don't really know what to think about Glee (the pilot anyway).
It's High School Musical but a TV series instead of a TV movie (Finn, one of the main characters, the QB on the football team, is coerced into joining the glee club and SHOCK has to deal with pressure from his teammates about singing), and it expands into the adult world much more significantly than HSM (it's about a 60/40 mix, I'd say, the 60 on the adult side). It's uplifting, heart-soaring, farcically campy and silly, at times touching, and just generally entertaining. But I can see it not being to everyone's taste (the musical numbers at times reminded me of Idol's group sings...)
Actually I guess it's more like the bastard lovechild of HSM and Bring It On.
On the casting side... it's got (the original Broadway version of) Hairspray's Matthew Morrison and Spring Awakening's Lea Michele (yay!) meaning the teen female lead CAN ACTUALLY SING AND DANCE.
And Jane Lynch (who is not really utilized much in the pilot but the brief moments she's there... hilarity ensues), who by herself would be able to make me watch paint dry while she read the telephone book (do they still make those?)
The pilot is also about 12 minutes longer than can be fit into an hour of TV, so unless FOX works out a deal with the affiliates to bleed into the 10pm hour or does some significant cutting... it won't air as I saw it. Which is a shame for all of the above reasons.
It might also be the most expensive television show of all time when it goes past the pilot. Musical numbers take extra time to shoot right because of voice/lip synching. Plus all the dancing. Plus all of the music licensing (I mean, there's a LOT of music).
Which adds up to the sad reality that subsequent episodes won't have nearly the amount of magic the pilot has.
But, hey. I have to say I am so very on board (much more so than for the script of ABC's Fame-esque pilot Limelight).
I'm not sure why this show hasn't been scheduled yet. I can't believe Fox would take something this potentially amazing and relegate it to the summer (maybe it'll premiere after the Final Two Perform episode of Idol on May 20th?) Sigh.
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